


Ace Hockey

by Nocticola



Series: Ace/Aro characters [81]
Category: Sophie Fournier -K.R. Collins, Ultraviolet Series - R. J. Anderson
Genre: Ace Week 2020, Asexual Awareness Week, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Canon Asexual Character, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Demisexuality, F/M, Gen, Hockey, Niki Johnson is Tori's alias
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:48:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26698531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nocticola/pseuds/Nocticola
Summary: Tori has always loved hockey. So when she has the opportunity to see Sophie Fournier, the first woman in NAHL, play in Montreal for the first game of the 2012-13 playoffs, she decides to take Milo, her newish boyfriend, with her.
Relationships: Tori Beaugrand/Milo Hwang
Series: Ace/Aro characters [81]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/651800





	Ace Hockey

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes you read something and you want to write about them but the best way to do that is by a crossover. That's the case here. I have an idea for a Tori fic, and hope to get to read more Sophie eventually, but first I just want them to meet. C'mon, two Canadian ace women who play hockey? It writes itself.
> 
> Set after Quicksilver (which was set in 2012 or 2013) and towards the end of Sophomore Surge, during the first playoff game. Aliens like Tori exits and the hockey league is Sophie's NAHL.

Tori hasn't really had the time to follow hockey. She lost a big chunk of last year (alien abduction tends to do that) and even the aftermath with the move and name change and everything else means it hasn't been a regular thing for her for a while. But now that things have worked out she follows it again. It's cool that NAHL finally has a female player. Sophie Fournier is a really good player, and she was robbed of the Clayton last year. Not to mention her draft number. Tori didn't get to see her play much in the League, and they didn't play in the same circles in high school (Sophie always played with boys, while Tori played with women) but she knows Sophie's stats, and she knows how those circles are about women. It's one of the reasons she never thought about playing professionally, even after she didn't have to stay within 50 kilometres of Sudbury. 

Even though she does root for the Montreal Mammoths, she does have a soft point for Concord Condors. Any team that would take the risk of being first deserves support. When the Condors make the playoffs and they face off against the Mammoths on first round, Tori doesn't really feel conflicted. Mammoths are her team, but Condors have Sophie. She also knows how these things work, and Condors are happy to make it this far. She has a feeling the playoffs won't be pretty. 

Her Dad is happy to get her tickets to the first playoff game and he's even happier to let her take Milo. She hopes her parents would be happy for her even if she wanted to be with another girl or as she worried for so long, with no one, and it took some time for her parents to become comfortable with Milo and his Koreanness but she's glad her relationship isn't really an issue. She still hasn't told them she's asexual. She's not sure if she's ready for that yet. Telling her old friends didn't go well. Even Milo had a bad reaction once she told him the whole truth about herself. But they are making it work. Even though Milo isn't as interested in hockey as she is, he is still Canadian enough that he will enjoy the date well enough. 

Montreal is far enough away though that they don't have to leave super early to get there, but they will have to spend the night at a hostel. They're staying at a unisex dormitory, so their parents are mostly OK with it. The next day, they can do a little sightseeing and Tori is really looking forward to it. It's gonna be fun to have a road trip, watch a hockey game and do a little shopping. It's a bit more pricey date than they can usually do but Maple Cup playoffs are worth it.

Milo is driving, because Tori is still getting used to her prosthetic arm. Her Mechanic's brain is constantly tweaking it, trying to make it better, making sure it works for her needs, but they're not actually made of money, so the arm is still a work in progress. And it hasn't been that long since she had to cut it off to save herself. She has a lot of adjustments to do these days.

"So, who are we rooting for, Montreal or Concord?" Milo asks as small talk as they're driving. 

"Well, I am going to wear a Sophie Fournier jersey to Montreal's home stadium, so I need you to back me up." 

"You're actually wearing a jersey? Doesn't it get cold?" 

"Things can get a bit heated, it's fine." 

Tori watches the scenery fly by behind her window again. It's weird that even though she's been to the other side of the universe through a wormhole (and she was actually born there), that she hasn't really seen much of Canada, let alone the world at large. She hopes she can travel a lot throughout her life, now that a relay isn't keeping her within Sudbury. 

"Have you followed hockey a lot?" she asks Milo after a while. 

"I think I know the rules. But it's not a passion of mine." 

"Trust me, it will be after tonight's game. You can watch the playoffs with me and my Dad at home." 

Milo smiles, "Sure. You know I'd watch anything, as long as it's with you." 

Tori's pretty sure she's blushing. She's not very good at this romantic relationship thing. She's grown up thinking of sex, or wanting to have sex, as a big part of the appeal. Brendan certainly wasn't thinking of much else during their relationship. But she does know that eventually the desire to sex should go down, but that's what's supposed to be the hook. You build a partnership around sex. At least that's what society tells her. But what she has with Milo works. At least for her. She worries about the future, about Milo realizing that what they have isn't enough. Maybe Tori might feel more OK about sex by that point. She shakes her head to dislodge those thoughts. They work right now. That's what's important. 

"You're so corny sometimes," she tells Milo but she's smiling and Milo can hear the delight in her voice. 

\--- 

Milo and Tori walk hand in hand to the Mammoth's stadium. They get some hecklers because of Tori's jersey but Tori doesn't mind. (She's glad people seem to have more of an issue with her jersey than her date) At the hem of her jersey, she has a tiny ace flag pin. Milo got it for her soon after they started dating, and Tori loves it. She's still working on where to put it permanently but for now she moves it from one shirt to another. People don't really know what it means but she's occasionally gotten s few knowing smiles. It makes her happy. 

The game itself is quite rough. This is the first time the Concords have made it to the playoffs, while the Mammoths are one of the top teams in the NAHL, and often it shows. Sophie Fournier gets the first goal of the game, which is amazing and she also scores the one that times the game 3-3 just seconds before the end of regulation. The Condors play a tough game, though Tori can tell it took a lot out of them, and she can't help but occasionally get teary eyed as she sees Sophie play. She's grown up loving hockey but she always knew the game didn't quite feel the same way about her, or any woman. But there is Sophie, Maddow winner and in the playoffs in her second season. 

The 3-4 loss is bittersweet. She is mostly a Mammoth fan but she wants Sophie to keep making history and she wants to see her play more. She was so caught up in the game she wasn't a very good date. After the game, she and Milo wait by the stadium because Tori really wants to see Sophie before they head back to the hostel. 

"Sorry, I got really caught up in the game. Did you like it?" 

"Actually yeah. It's a lot more brutal and fast paced than I thought. I was also a bit surprised by some of the names." 

"Like?" 

"There was a Zhang playing for the Condors." 

"Oh, yeah, he's from Taiwan. I get that hockey is a really white sport but it shouldn't be. It's awesome, and there is some diversity in the players. The more the better of course." 

"Running is still my thing, but if I want to because a phys. ed. teacher in Canada, I should know more hockey." 

"I'd love to teach you." 

Milo smiles at her, pulls her into a side way hug and kisses her cheek. 

*** 

Sophie has never felt this exhausted and defeated. She thought they were more ready for this, but clearly not. It wasn't as terrible as it could have been. She scored the first goal of the game (a franchise first!) and tied up. They played well. They just need to play better. One game at a time. They still have six chances and they only need to win four. Totally doable. Right. 

She takes her time in the locker room. She knows she needs to get to the bus so everyone can get to the hotel, but she doesn't want to deal with Montreal fans. By the time she walks outside the parking lot is luckily almost empty. 

Except for a couple. Both of them are probably her age, maybe a little younger. Her hair is a pixie cut and dyed brown and Sophie can't help but notice the a prosthetic, because the guy is holding her hand, and he's dressed normally. Probably not used to hockey games. The girl on the other hand? She's wearing her jersey. A Condors jersey at a playoff game at the Mammoth's home stadium. She must be brave. Sophie didn't think they had many fans here. 

The girl waves enthusiastically and Sophie puts on a smile for them while she walks to meet them. 

"Hi! Love your jersey." 

"Hi! I love it too. Do you mind signing it?" 

"Of course. What's your name?" 

"T- I mean, it's Niki. N-I-K-I." 

Sophie's smile falters only a little. She asks Niki to turn around so she can sign her back. 

"That was a really amazing game. Sorry about the loss. I'm sure you can beat them at least once." 

"Thanks," Sophie says awkwardly. 

Niki turns around and it strikes Sophie as weird to see that type of admiration in her eyes that she's used to seeing only from little kids. 

"I think it's amazing what you're doing. Showing that women can play with the guys. And play the game even better than most of them." 

"That's part of why I do this. Do you play?" Sophie asks before she remembers the prosthetic. 

But luckily Niki doesn't seem to mind, "I played girls' varsity in high school but not anymore. Oh, and i didn't quit because of this," Niki shows off her prosthetic. 

Sophie just smiles. She's not sure how to react to that. She knows how to talk to the media, and she knows how to hang in locker rooms with all guys. She also knows how to accept admiration from little kids. But there are a lot of social situations she needs practice with. 

For some reason, her eyes hit a little pin on Niki's jersey. It's purple and black and grey and white and Sophie's not sure why but she finds it interesting. 

"Cool pin." 

"Thanks, it's the ace flag." 

"The what?" 

Almost like Niki just realized she had said something off, she's a bit more cautious when she clarifies, "The asexuality flag. It's a pride thing." 

Sophie doesn't know how to react to that either. There's something about it that that hits her, but she's not quite sure what. 

"Cool. It was great meeting you Niki." 

"You too, Sophie!" 

Sophie nods at the silent guy next to Niki and starts walking to the bus. She can hear Niki's enthusiasm behind her and she feels a little bit better when she enters the bus. (Somewhere, in the back of her head, she keeps thinking she should check out asexuality. But that's for another time.


End file.
